Stronger
by Rachiella3
Summary: When 17 year old Saske Aohara passes the hunter exam, she's ecstatic and can't wait to get out into the world! She soon meets Kurapika, the dreamy boy with scarlet eyes. She teams up with him and they become the best of friends, but when Saske's feelings start to grow into something more, she realizes the huge mistake she's made. Kurapika still thinks she's a boy!
1. o n e

Saske skipped down the street without a care in the world. The wind ruffled her short, brown hair and she stuck her hands in the pockets of her jeans as she gripped her new Hunter License. "I did it! I passed!"

She didn't have any plans for after the exam but she was excited none-the-less. After 3 tries she had finally passed the Hunter Exam! She felt a little childish considering she was 17 and skipping like a 10 year old but she didn't particularly care. In fact, she was so distracted by her thoughts, she wasn't looking where she was going and crashed straight into a boy walking in front of her.

"Ouch!" they both said in unison as they hit the ground.

"Sorry," she apologized, helping him to his feet.

"It's alright," he replied.

"My name's Saske," she introduced herself "Nice to meet you"

"I'm Kurapika."

"Well, I really am sorry about that. I guess I just wasn't looking where I was going," she said sheepishly.

He was wearing some weird sort of uniform or something. A blue vest-like shirt and a matching skirt thing that went just below his knees. He also had a white full-body training suit underneath. His eyes were kind of grey looking and his hair was fairly long for a boy's and was gold like the colour of a sunflower.

"Why were you so out of it?" He asked "Did something really good happen?"

She caught her train of thought and replied, "Well actually yeah, kind of. I've been trying to pass this test for the job I really wanted for a few years now and I finally did it!"

"Oh really? That's great! What job is it?"

"I wanted to be a hunter and finally passed the exam this time!" She said smiling.

"How can this little boy be a hunter? He only looks about 14 and not very strong either." Kurapika had a bad habit of narrating his thoughts in a whispered voice but, luckily, Saske didn't seem to notice. "He almost looks like a girl," he muttered under his breath.

Kurapika stopped for a minute and slowly looked her up and down. "You're a hunter?" he said with a hint of doubt in his voice.

This always happens. People take one look look at her and assume she's useless and not good at anything. She took a deep breath to calm herself. "Yes I am," she said.

"Cool! It's been a while since I met another hunter!" he exclaimed still a little surprised.

Now it was her turn to look him up and down. "You're a hunter?" she said.

"Yeah." he said. "I passed the 287th exam. Since you just passed, I assume you passed the 289th one?"

"Mmhmmmmm," saske replied half-heartedly eying one of the nearby restaurants as her stomach grumbled softly.

Kurapika, having noticed this, laughed and offered to buy her lunch. She was just about to refuse when she remembered she didn't have any money so she accepted his offer.

"Yum!" Saske licked her lips as she finished off a second plate. "That was great! Thanks Kurapika!"

"So what are you doing after this?" Kurapika asked her.

"Hmmmmm... I'm not exactly sure. I don't live around here so I'm not that familiar with the area. In fact, I should probably start looking for a place to stay..."

"Well in that case, do you wanna come check out some of the apartments around here?"

"Sure!" she replied. "That'd be great!"

Saske and Kurapika wandered around town until they found a nice apartment building that Saske thought looked very nice and homey. "Say, Kurapika, where do you live?" Saske asked.

"I live over there," he said, pointing to the huge mansion a little farther away.

"Woooooooooow! It's ginormous! Do you really live there?!"

"Yup. I work as a bodyguard for Lady Nostrade and that's where she lives."

After she finished gawking at the gigantic building she picked her chin up off the floor and replied, "Well, anyway, thanks for helping me out today Kurapika!" Saske thanked him. "I guess I'll see you 'round sometime then."

"Sure! I'd be happy to show you more around the city!"

After Kurapika left he went back to the mansion he fell on his bed and thought about his day off. "Well, I definitely wasn't expecting to meet another hunter. I wonder why he wanted to take the hunter exam? What was his name again? Saske? Yeah, that was it. Saske."


	2. t w o

Saske flopped down on her new bed and decided to have a bath. The warm water felt nice on her cool skin as she soaked in the bubbly haven. "This is so nice! I forgot how nice baths feel..."

Once she was done, she drained the tub and changed into her fluffy kitten pajamas. "Well, it's not that late yet so I guess I'll watch some TV."

She watched an episode of an unfamiliar show and began to feel her eyelids drooping. "I guess I'm getting tired." She smiled half heartedly as she clutched her little tattered teddy bear and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

A young Saske jumped out of bed and sloppily dressed herself in her excitement. She put on the pretty dress she had picked out the night before. She slid down the rickety handrail of the old stairs that needed to be replaced and practically bounced into the kitchen.

"Hello?" she called into the dark room, pretending to be scared. "Is anybody there?"

Suddenly, the lights all came on at once and her parents jumped out from behind the table. "HAPPY 8th BIRTHDAY!" they cheered and enveloped their only daughter in a giant bear hug. The young girl smiled happily, she always loved her birthday and how her parents would do the same thing every year. They always made her laugh.

"Now," said her father, suddenly with a serious tone. "WHO WANTS BREAKFAST!?" he exclaimed revealing a pink birthday cake that was hiding behind the counter.

"Me! Me! Me!" Saske shouted, enjoying every minute of the day. "Shhhhhhhhh," her mother hushed her, "you don't want to wake the chickens! They might come in and try to eat your cake!" she said in a mocking whisper.

"Right!" Saske whispered back with a giggle.

After they finished their "breakfast" Saske and her parents went outside to feed the animals. Looking out across the farm that had been passed down through her family for generations, she could see the village and most of the other towns from up on their hill.

"One day this will be my farm!" Saske said happily to herself as she fed the greedy chooks. After all the work and celebrating was done, Saske's father took the horse and cart then rode out to the village where the market was.

After waving him off, she and her mother went back inside to finish the cleaning. As she swept the hall floors she felt something hit the back of her head then fall to the floor. She turned to see her mother's disappearing silhouette in the doorway as she picked up the lumpy package.

Excitedly, she ripped the brown paper off and was left holding a beautiful teddy bear with soft, golden, honey-brown fur. She hugged her new companion and called out through the house thanking her mother.

Saske fell asleep on the couch and her mother, Sianna, carried her upstairs to her room and lay her down, fully clothed, on her bed. She hugged her daughter and kissed her goodnight. "I love you," she whispered as she looked at her peaceful, sleeping face before gently closing the door.

A few hours later, Sianna saw her husband riding back in the cart, but as he got closer she saw that the man sitting in the seat was definitely not her husband. His build was more muscular and his shoulders were far too broad to be that of her beloved. "You're not Itsuku! Who are you?" She called from the front porch.

Sianna barely had a chance to react as she heard a gun shot in the darkness. She panicked and fell to her right, the bullet lodging itself in her left forearm. Her scream pierced the eerie silence of the night, startling Saske causing her to wake. She looked out her window, squinting in the darkness eventually making out a man holding something and pointing it towards her front door.

She didn't know who he was or what he was holding but she could tell that he wasn't friendly. She saw a mangled body in the back of the truck that she recognized to be her father. "Daddy!" She yelled out in horror. Causing both her mother and the stranger to look up.

"SASKE RU-" Sianna was cut off by the sound of a gun firing then the night became silent again. Terrified, the tiny girl ran outside to her parents. The stranger, paying no attention to the helpless child, proceeded to enter the house ignoring poor Saske.

She knelt by her mother who was covered in blood and cried her heart out finally understanding what was going on. Saske lay her mother down on the grass and crossed her arms over her chest, just like she had seen being done to her grandmother when she died, tears streaming down her cheeks. She did the same to her father and lay him next to her mother, panting because of his weight. She picked the last two roses that had survived the winter and put one on each of their chests.

She was about the make a break for it and escape into the forest when she remembered something. Her present! She couldn't leave without it, especially since it was the last thing her mother had given her, so she bravely went back into the house.

She stuck to the shadows and darted up the stairs. She managed to get to her room without being caught and sighed in relief when she saw it lying on her bed. Suddenly, she heard footsteps coming her way. She grabbed the bear and hid in her closet. She could feel her heart thumping loudly in her chest and her breaths were heavy.

A voice came form behind the door. "I wonder where that kid ran off to? I really shouldn't leave any witnesses." The door opened and the stranger walked into the room. She could see him through the cracks in the closet door and saw him clearly for the first time.

He was a large man with broad shoulders and he was very muscular. He was wearing a grey hoodie that was stained with blood and black jeans paired with brown leather boots. It was dark and she still couldn't see his face but he scared her to the point where she almost passed out.

He left and she gasped for air, realizing that she had been holding her breath. She stayed there for a few minutes clutching her teddy to her chest for all she was worth.

She was about to come out when she noticed the air was unusually warm. She ventured out of her hiding place and ran out to the stairs to see that the living room was on fire and it was quickly spreading. It was really hot and hard to breathe. She had to move fast or she would be trapped, she ran down the stairs nearly tripping over everything.

Sprinting towards the back door, she tripped on her long skirt. The flames licked the back of her foot, burning her heal and she screamed in pain quickly picking herself back up. She stumbled towards the forest but the pain was excruciating and she was a wreck. She started to tumble down the hill and the world faded away from her vision.

* * *

"Ahhhhhhh!" Saske screamed as she woke up from her nightmare in a cold sweat. She shuddered as she remembered her past. "I think I need to take a walk" She mumbled to herself as she put on a red jumper and her sweat pants and headed out the door.


	3. t h r e e

The Autumn wind was a bit chillier than Saske expected and she wrapped her jumper tighter around herself and snuggled into it, enjoying the fluffiness. Suddenly, she saw a head of familiar blonde hair near one of the shops at the corner of the street.

"Kurapika!" She called, trying not to be too loud since it was around 2 o'clock in the morning.

The boy swiveled on his heels and looked to see who it was, "Oh, Saske! Hi!" He said as he greeted her. "What are you doing up so late?"

"I could ask you the same question."

"Ah, well, my mistress asked me to pick up something for her from this store." He motioned to the sweet shop next to him and laughed.

"Why is it even still open?" she asked, laughing with him. It was like his laugh was contagious!

"You'd be surprised how many people come out here for a late night snack!" he said between giggles. It took a few minutes but they both finally calmed down from their random outburst of hysterics. (both were probably high on sleep deprivation)

"You still haven't answered my question though." Kurapika stated.

Saske made a sour face as she remembered her dream but quickly shrugged it off. "I woke up and couldn't get back to sleep." she said.

Kurapika noticed her reaction but before he could ask about it he felt a little buzz in his pocket and pulled out his cellphone. "Moshi moshi?" he answered.

"Kurapika," Melody said quietly. "I think It's best if you come back now."

"Oh, right. Sorry" he apologized. He was about to hang up when he remembered Saske. "Hey Melody, I have this friend, his name is Saske, I was wondering if you could ask Neon if I could bring him as well."

He could barely hear her through all of the unidentifiable muffled noises in the background. "Neon said that's fine and she'd love to meet your friend."

"Great!" he said and ended the call.

Saske just kind of stood there with a blank look on her face. "Wait, so what's going on?"

Kurapika grinned. "Well, since you can't sleep I thought I'd show you where I live! You can even meet my friends!"

"For real?"

"Yup! Come on, let's go before they worry"

"Kay" she said. Kurapika found himself wondering why Saske couldn't sleep? It was obviously bothering him.

* * *

Saske almost died as a man wearing some sort of chinese clothing rushed out and attacked her. Suddenly, before any of his attacks could hit, she saw a chain fly in front of her face and shield her. "Linssen! He's with me! Calm down!"

The thin man just left without saying a word and retreated back inside the building. "Sorry." Kurapika apologized retracting his chains. "He just doesn't like me much."

Saske stared at him in silence with wide eyes. "How did you do that?" Kurapika blinked, a little confused. He probably meant his nen, since, most likely, he'd never heard of it or seen it before.

"Uuummmm... That was nen. It's something you learn after you become a hunter. If you want I can try to teach you sometime since it's something you'll need to learn anyway." Saske nodded her head, still too awestruck to say anything. After she got over the fact that she had seen real life magic, she hurried to catch up with the blond as he walked through the giant wooden sculptures that were supposedly doors.

"Wow! This place is amazing! It's so fancy!" she gawked in amazement.

As if reading her thoughts, Kurapika said, "Never been to a place like this before I'm guessing."

"How did you know?" she asked suspiciously.

"You're face says it all!" he laughed and she puffed up her cheeks.

Kurapika lead them upstairs where they were greeted by a scene at which she couldn't help but giggle. A small girl who looked to be around the age of 14 was sitting a bed while she threw stuffed animals into the air as a purple-haired female servant, obviously tired, attempted to pick up the fallen ones and put them back on the large bed only for them to be thrown up into the air all over again.

"Neon!" Kurapika said in a stern tone. "You need to go to bed. It's late." He waved a bag of candy in the girl's face. "Look, I got you those special limited time sweets okay? Now they won't run out before you get there. GO. TO. BED!"

The girl, Neon, Saske presumed, pouted and looked at the floor. Suddenly, her face lit up. "Kurapika, you haven't introduced me to your friend yet!" She said with a smile.

Kurapika sighed, starting to look a little tired. "Neon, this is Saske. Saske, this is my master Neon."

"Hi Saske! Nice to meet you!" Neon said cheerfully.

"Nice to meet you too." Saske replied, stifling a yawn.

Kurapika started, "Neon, look. Even Saske's tired. It really is late. You should sleep."

"Just using me as leverage!" Saske muttered to herself.

Neon sighed but didn't argue while Kurapika dismissed the girl who was still picking up toys. "Goodnight, my lady." she bowed.

"Night Eliza." she said glumly, still staring at the floor. "Kurapika?" Neon asked.

"Yes?"

"Can we have a sleep over?!" she asked hopefully.

Kurapika looked at her. "But Neon, we're both boys and you're a girl. That wouldn't be right."

"Pleeeaaaassseeeee?" she begged.

The taller blonde yawned, obviously too tired to argue anymore. "Fine, but we'll sleep on the floor."

"Yay!"

Kurapika yawned again and disappeared out the door returning minutes later in a pair of blue PJs with 2 huge fluffy blankets and a green set of pajamas for Saske.

Saske left the room to change. When she came back she found Kurapika already asleep on the floor using one of Neon's many pillows with his blanket wrapped around himself. He let out a steady stream of snores as he slept. A small laugh escaped Saske's lips as she saw him lying there, already sleeping peacefully. Neon piped up, "Saske, do you want to sleep in my bed with me?"

"What?"

"You are a girl right?" Neon asked.

Saske stammered, "Well, umm, yes. But how did you know?"

"I just sort of knew! I used to have a special ability that let me tell people's future but now I guess I can only really pick up on a few things. If that makes sense..." She trailed off, not knowing if anything she said was actually understandable by another human being.

Saske half listened as she yawned. "Thanks for the offer but it's okay. We wouldn't want Kurapika to wake up and find us in the same bed. He might freak out cause he thinks I'm a boy."

"Saske?" Neon asked, "why don't you tell Kurapika you're a girl?"

Saske thought about the question as she rolled out her blanket. "Well... I guess it's easier this way, with everyone thinking I'm a boy. They treat me better and it's safer too." She folded the blanket down the middle and snuggled in between the two layers like a sleeping bag.

Neon decided not to probe any further and accepted her answer. She threw Saske a pillow which she caught easily and placed beneath her head. Both girls tried to sleep but found it wouldn't come easily. "Neon, how old are you?" Saske asked after a few minutes of silence.

"Eighteen."

Saske was glad it was dark so Neon could see the look of surprise on her face. Quickly, she pulled her thoughts together. "That makes you my senpai then Neon! I'm only seventeen, Neon-Senpai." She joked.

The silence settled in again and the sweet relief of sleep washed over Saske. This time, she dreamed of the village that had taken her in and the friends she had made there. Neon, who was still awake, looked down to see her favourite bodyguard and her new friend sleeping next to each other on the floor. She giggle softly as she saw Saske move closer to Kurapika in her sleep and a smile cross her lips as her head rested against his chest.

'They'd make such a cute couple!" she giggled before yawning herself. Soon Neon's eyes closed as well and all three of them were asleep.


	4. f o u r

It was midday when Saske sleepily opened her eyes. "It's warm." She tried to get up, but there was something holding her down. She inched away from the source of heat and looked up to see a face.

Saske almost had a heart attack. Kurapika was still sleeping soundly, his arm holding her waist close to himself. She gently moved it off her stomach and sat upright. An amused smile appeared on Neon's face, who had been watching the whole time. Saske noticed of course. "You were watching and you didn't help me?" Saske whispered angrily, her cheeks now a bright shade of pink. Neon laughed.

"But you both looked so cute together!" She said with a mischievous grin.

"You're missing the point," Saske sighed.

"Whatever. Let's go get breakfast! I've been waiting for you to get up FOREVER!"

"I can't believe I slept over at a stranger's house! A crazy stranger at that. Something must be wrong with my brain!" she rambled on to no one in particular.

Saske gave up. Neon was impossible. "Okay."

After Saske changed back into her clothes from the night before, the two girls went downstairs and had breakfast (more like brunch).

Saske had never seen so much food. There were bowls of fruit, muffins, jams, and pancakes. It took her a few seconds to take it all in before she pinched herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming.

After realizing she hadn't eaten since two days ago, Saske was immediately grateful and tucked into her 'brunch' straight away. The food was delicious. Saske could've died and gone to heaven, she absolutely loved anything edible and delicious.

Suddenly, talking through a mouthful of food, Neon asked, "do you think it's bad to not have boobs?"

Saske almost choked. "I'm sorry, I don't think I heard you right. Could you please repeat that?"

"Do you think it's bad if you don't have boobs?" This time, Saske actually choked. After she finished coughing up her previous mouthful of breakfast into a napkin, she decided it was easier to just respond rather than suffer through Neon's cluelessness.

"Well... I certainly don't think it's a bad thing, it makes it easier to dress as a guy. But... I guess having some wouldn't be so horrible either..." She stared down at her own chest which was about as flat as they come. Neon was doing the same. "At least you have something, Neon," she said. Neon was silent for the rest of the meal.

Twenty minutes passed.

Just as the girls were finishing up their breakfast, Kurapika walked into the room, now dressed in his regular attire.

"What was I thinking? Inviting a person I met yesterday to the mansion. And a sleepover none the less. This is the last time I stay up late, Light would kill me if he found out."

"Hey Kura!"

Interrupted from his thoughts, Kurapika looked at Saske with a quizzical expression. "Kura?"

"You don't like it? How about Pika?... Or Pikachu?!"

"I don't really do nicknames," he said bluntly.

"Then it's decided. Pikachu it is!" Saske exclaimed, totally ignoring him. Neon laughed.

"This guy's as crazy as Neon. No wonder they're already friends."

Saske continued to giggle. "Oops. I think I've been spending too much time with Neon," she laughed to herself.


	5. f i v e

After Kurapika finished his breakfast, he and Neon escorted Saske to the door. "Hey Saske, since you really liked the pancakes you should go to this great pancake place I know. It's called Maple Syrup! They make the best pancakes ever!" Neon said.

"Okay, I will! Bye," Saske said as she left the mansion.

When she got back to her apartment, she noticed she literally had nothing. No toothbrush, no toothpaste, no shampoo, no conditioner, no kind of hygienic product in general. And, most importantly, no food! "How did I not notice this yesterday when I took a shower?" She sighed grudgingly as she put on a change of clothes then grabbed her wallet and headed out the door yet again.

"Where am I even gonna buy this stuff? I don't know where anything is in this city!"

After walking around for a few hours, she had finally figured out where everything was and had most of stuff together. The 12 shopping bags on her arms were getting REALLY heavy and her growling stomach wasn't helping out at all.

"I haven't eaten anything since lunch. I'm so hungry!" Looking a little to her left, Saske smelled a sweet smell and spotted a small store in a row of shops and houses. The sign above the door read, "MAPLE SYRUP".

Hungrily, she wobbled her way towards the front door (or rather, curtain). Of course, being so unstable she immediately bumped into a man crossing the street. She stumbled sideways but managed to stay upright as she fell into the open doorframe and into the store, a flash of aqua hair disappeared from the corner of her eye.

"What'ya doing in my shop eh? This is private property!" A big, well-built man loomed over Saske. She looked up and, instead of a brightly coloured sign full of pancakes and ice cream, there were shelves of mysterious bagged powder. "Get out!"

"Oh no! I must have walked into the wrong place after I bumped into that man!"

"It's too late for him to leave, he has already seen too much." An older man said with slicked back hair and an eye patch.

"Ey Boss, what'r we gonna do with him? He's too scrawny to make any use of!" A dozen or so men came out of the shadows all at once and she was surrounded.

"We'll just have to beat the memory right out of him!" one yelled.

"And jack his stuff too!" another said, grinning wildly.

They all came closer and she felt undeniable pressure. "What is this presence I'm feeling?" Before she could think of a plan, one guy threw a punch that hit her directly in the face and she was out like a light.

* * *

Kurapika was walking downtown when he heard a crash. He ran round the corner to see a boy on the ground outside of the Black Masquerade's base. A seemingly harmless group to him, but, to a person who didn't know nen they were dangerous. He rushed over to see what was wrong. The worried expression on his face grew even more so when he realized who it was. Saske!

* * *

Adjusting to the light, her eyelids flickered and an audible sigh of relief echoed through the room. She sat up. "Wha-at? Where a- OW!" She groaned, "Guess I sat up too fast."

"You're awake!" Neon shrieked.

Kurapika whispered, "shhhhhh!"

"Sorry..." Saske lay back down.

"Neon? Kurapika? What?"

"You-were-out-for-like-FOUR-HOURS-and-Kurapika-had-to-carry-you-all-the-way-here-and-now-you're-awake-so-you-have-to-tell-us-what-happened-because-he-just-found-you-on-the-ground!" exclaimed Neon.

"What?"

"I'll, um . . . tell you later. But then we need to discuss how you're going to protect yourself in the future," Kurapika responded.


	6. s i x

"Why won't you let me into my room?! I payed for that room and I intend to use it!"

"I'm sorry but I can't let you in if you don't have any identification."

Kurapika put a hand on Saske's shoulder. "Could you at least let my friend here in to get his things?" He asked flashing his hunter license in front of the man's face.

The sole star on the front caught his eye. "W-well I guess I could make an exception just this once."

"Thanks," was Kurapika's reply as he pulled Saske down the hall toward her room.

Stumbled along after him she teased, "were you always this authoritative?" No response.

"Which room is yours?"

"47B."

He sat on the bed as she gathered her stuff. She didn't have much; most of it was still in her suitcase.

A toothbrush, a comb, a towel, her clothes from the day before, and a photograph. As she started to shove it all into the side of the navy bag Kurapika spoke up. "What's that photo?"

"A picture of my family."

"Who's the girl?"

"My little sister," she lied.

"You're not in it?"

"No, I was taking the picture," she lied again.

"She's very cute."

"Yeah... I guess she was."

"Was?"

She spoke slowly, choosing her words carefully, "she died in the fire after my parents were murdered." Well, it was mostly true.

"Oh . . . I'm sorry."

"It's okay. We'd better get going before we outstay our welcome."

* * *

"Alright, so we got your stuff. Happy now?"

"Yup," she announced.

"Well that's just great," he said sarcastically. "Can we get move on? We have other things to do."

"Right," she said flatly.

* * *

"We've been training all day! Can't we take an ice cream break or something?"

"5 minutes."

Saske practically flew into the air. "Score! If only Gashi-Sensei could see me now - learning magic and stuff!"

"Nen, not magic."

"Whatever you say Pikachu!"

"I thought you forgot about that," he said, mentally face-palming.

"Guess again Pika my buddy ol' pal. You're stuck with that till I find something better," she declared with a grin.

The two were both silent for a good couple minutes before Kurapika piped up again. "Don't forget we have to get your hunter licence back before those thieves sell it or something. Good job losing yours in the first week by the way."

Saske's cheeks began to blend in with the scarlet autumn leaves. "I didn't lose it! It was stolen!"

"Same difference."


	7. s e v e n

"What do you mean my pores were already open? I can control it? But I've never even heard about this nen stuff before today. How could I already be able to control it?"

"I'm not sure. I don't know how but you already have your nen awoken and you already know Ten.

"So what do you need to teach me then?"

"Well, I still need to teach you the other basics."

"What are the other basics?"

"Well they are the other major principles: Zetsu, Ren, and Hatsu."

"Um okay... I still have no idea what those are."

"Well we will start with Zetsu. So what you are doing right now is keeping your aura nods open and keeping your aura from leaking away from your body. This is known as Ten. It is one of the four principles."

Saske looked down in amazement at the aura bubble she had made around her.

"While Ten allows you to keep aura from leaking away from your body, Zetsu suppresses or stops the flow of aura from their body altogether. So I need you to now close all your nodes."

"How the hell am I supposed to do that?"

"Think of it like water coming through a tap. What I want you to think of is you closing the valve and stopping the water or aura from escaping. Now close your eyes and think of it."

Saske did what she was told and closed her eyes. She tried thinking of what Kurapika had said and closed her theoretical water valve.

"Wow you got it on the first try!"

"I did?"

"Yeah."

* * *

He closed his eyes and she watched him change the aura surrounding himself.

Tame. Wild. Tame. Wild.

It was quite a sight. Although her Gyo wasn't quite up to par, she could still see simple things like shapes and such. She wondered what kind of skill it took to be able to control your own aura the way Kurapika did.

Her focus drifted to the window. The clouds were so big and fluffy just the way they were when she was a kid. She used to lie on the grass with Elanna, her best friend from the village below her hill, and stare at the clouds finding the ones that looked like different things. The biggest one looked like a face; a little mangled, but still a face. Next to it was a small cloud. A flower. She and Elanna used to find flowers all the time. Roses and tulips, pansies and daffodils. I could stare at the clouds all day-

"Hey," Kurapika said. One eye open as if staring straight inter her soul, warning her to pay attention.

-Or not.

He flashed a square of nen in the air above him. "What was that?"

She hurriedly applied her Gyo to her eyes. "A-a square?" He nodded with a suspicious glare and continued with the exercise.

* * *

It was well into the night by the time Saske's lesson ended. The sun had gone down hours ago and the moon shone brightly against the starless sky.

Her stomach grumbled loudly. "Can we get some food nooooow?" Saske wined. "I'm starving."

Kurapika mumbled a reply of compliance and started walking, Saske hurriedly following after him, his steps a few paces larger than hers.

They came to stop in the middle of the food district, only a couple places still open so late at night. They chose a lower class restaurant and seated themselves.

"Can I take your order?" A tired looking woman stood beside their table with a bored expression.

"Yes thank you," Kurapika said, seeming to take no notice of her hostility. "I'll have a grilled steak... With no tomatoes please."

He looked at Saske. "O-oh, uh, right. I'll order the chicken pasta with white sauce."

The waitress rolled her eyes and walked into the kitchen without another word. Bored, Saske's eyes began to wander around the room.

The restaurant was more or less empty save for the small group of men laughing and drinking in the corner opposite their own.

The shabby, outdated wallpaper was peeling off the walls and the minimalistic decor was terribly old and dusty. It was a wonder the place was still in business.

The drunk men on the other side of the room started to grow noisier and their laughter was thick and deep. About 10 minutes had passed since the waitress had taken their order when she came back out with their food.

"Thank you," Kurapika said as she set his plate in front of him. Saske nodded her thanks and dug into her dinner.

The meal want overly great and the eerie, empty atmosphere wasn't helping either. The only noises slow chewing of food, drunk laughter, and a low hum emanating from the kitchen.

The longer she sat, the more Saske's feeling of discomfort grew. There was something that felt off but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

The drunks were seriously becoming annoying. It was getting hard to tune them out, even Kurapika was twitching his eyebrow a little.

"Haha yesterday was a blast!"

"That's only cause you shacked up a new woman!"

"Yeah, Zac here lives for his girls! Don't know what he'd do without 'em," one of the men stated, a bright scarlet covering his drunken face. Saske couldn't wait to leave. She sighed. If only Kurapika would hurry up and finish his food...

"Oi! What do you mean you lost it? We just got us that hunter license them couples days ago!" Hunter license?

"Man, ch-i-ill. I ha-ad it! It mi-ight be o-on t-the floooor." His words were thick and slurred. Hiccups rendered him barely incomprehensible.

Group of delinquents? Hunter license? A couple days ago? It all made sense. She began to move from her seat. Kurapika looked up. "So he figured it out." She grabbed his arm, pulled him with her, leaving his steak half-finished, and walked up to the table.

"Hey! You bastards! Where's my license?!"

The drunkard's around the table looked up from their laughter. "Who's this kid?"

"Oh, don't you remember me? You stole my hunter license 2 days ago... AND ALL MY GROCERIES!"

"Oh. That guy. Yeah I remember you now," said the most sober of the bunch. "Yer that kid. Thanks for doing the shopping, I needed a new toothbrush."

At this point, Saske was getting a little mad. Okay, a lot. "GIVE ME MY STUFF BACK!"

One of the drunkards at the table got up and towered over her. "Listen here you sniveling brat," he said poking her in the shoulder. "You're the one who walked onto our private property, so really, this is your fault. We just took what was on our property," he announced, shrugging as if their crimes were justified.

Attempting to poke her again, he leaned towards her but this time she caught his wrist and twisted it uncomfortably. He yelped in pain and, using his other hand, he made a swing for her head. She caught his arm again by the wrist and twisted them both 360 degrees, leaning her head back, and then smashing it against his. He fell to the ground clutching his head. Saske was still standing but was also clutching her head. "Damn, no one wins in a headbutt," she said, wincing in pain.

The rest of his gang got up ready to fight back. Looking back at Kurapika for help Saske discovered he was back in his seat acting like a total stranger. "Seriously? Wow, I see how it is, I guess I'll handle this myself."

The men surround her, laughing as if they had already won this fight. Saske smiled. There was no way she'd let them beat her. Not this time. Not again. Because now, she was stronger.


	8. e i g h t

One of them lunged at her. She ducked, quickly kicking his feet out from under him. Falling on his knees he looked up just in time to see her knee heading directly for his face, then he was seeing stars. Saske collected herself and scanned her opponents. One of the larger men came charging towards her.

She ran towards him and proceeded to grab his wrists before propelling herself through his legs and pulled his arms with her. Flipping him flat on his back, he was left coughing and breathless. She slammed her heel into his head, bouncing it off the hard restaurant floor and knocking him out cold.

"Three assholes down, three assholes to go," she muttered under her breath.

"I can't believe we're being beaten by this scrawny kid. We beat him last time we can beat him again!"

"We can take him!" another yelled as the two ran at Saske from both sides.

Lining their punches up with her face they came closer until she was within range and swung as hard as they could. Thinking on her toes, she ducked just in time for the thugs to miss her entirely and hit each other square in the jaw. She positioned her fists under their chins and propelled herself upwards smacking them both to the ground with a swift double uppercut.

A couple roundhouse kicks later and the two were out for the count. "There's only one left now. Where is he?"

In her peripheral vision, Saske caught a glimpse of something shiny. A knife.

Jabbing at her stomach he managed to just graze her side. She winced in pain. Could it be? Was this guy actually a good fighter?

He smirked at her triumphantly but she had no idea why. He moved his knife quickly trying to hit her chest she dodged it but barely, feeling a bit sluggish.

"I've gotta wrap this up I'm getting tired," she muttered under her breathe.

Anticipating his strike to her stomach, she grabbed his wrist and bent it back, forcing him to drop the knife. She kicked the knife away but taking her eyes off him was a bad idea.

The man swung a punch at her ribs, knocking the wind out of her and she doubled over choking. Before he could land a kick, she collected herself and caught his leg making him fall to the floor. Kicking with his other leg, he hit her in the chest and she collapsed to the ground.

He moved on top of her, pinning her to the ground. He began to mercilessly pummel her and she tried her best to block him but she was failing and failing fast.

Looking to her left, she spotted the knife that was within reach. She lunged for the knife but he knocked it away before she could grab it. While he was busy kicking the knife away, she nailed him in the face with a powerful punch and knocking him off her.

She pinned him down, barraging him with punches until he was overwhelmed. With a final blow, she knocked him out, getting up to face Kurapika triumphantly. She started to feel dizzy. Glancing down at her wound, she realized it was bleeding more than it should be. She pressed her hand to it and found traces of black liquid.

Kurapika had a concerned expression on his face when she looked up at him. "I think I've been poisoned," she whispered nervously as her body trembled slightly.

Her world turned sideways very suddenly. The last thing she saw was Kurapika running towards her.


	9. n i n e

_The familiar smell of daisies and cinnamon woke her gently as a cool breeze blew through the luscious grass surrounding her body. Something was wrong. She bolted upright to find herself in the meadow behind her childhood home. Dazed, she wondered how she got there. The brief feeling of anxious worry had subsided, and she felt calm and relaxed._

 _She wasn't even shocked when her mother ran up to her from behind, enveloping her in a tight hug. As she hugged back, it occurred to her that, again, something was very wrong. Pulling away from her mother's embrace, she looked up at her. Almost transparent. That was she looked like._

 _For some odd reason, this didn't frighten Saske. She figured the atmosphere of the strange place must be having some effect on her brain, but she didn't pay it much mind._

 _Instead, she asked her mother, "Mum, how are you here?"_

 _The woman chuckled a soft laugh. "This is your dream, Saske. We are able to be here because your mind is not bound by the limitations of the world."_

 _"We?"_

 _In that instant, her father appeared beside her and took a seat next to the tall oak tree. While her mother's face was cool and calm, her father's was scrunched up in concern. "We don't have much time. Time here moves slower than in the real world, so we must be quick."_

 _She nodded, not quite knowing what was going on._

 _"Do remember that man who killed us?" She did, vaguely, so she nodded. "He was associated with a gang, the Phantom Troupe. He works solo so he wasn't an official member, but he was working a job for their boss to get some extra cash. I never told you, but I'm a hunter."_

 _Her jaw dropped a couple thousand feet in response to his unexpected statement._

 _"We met during the hunter exam and became fast friends. Best friends. The two of us were going to travel the world together, become famous and respected hunters, but all of that changed when I met your mother. I'll spare you the details but he was furious. Ryousuke, that was his name. I decided to start a family and give up on our future plans together. Once I had left, he broke off all contact between us. I didn't hear from him for 15 years. Then I met him again that day in the market."_

 _He bent down to look her in the eyes. His solemn gaze prefixing through her. "It's not important what I did, but what you need to know is that he's coming after you now that you have what he wants."_

 _Now she was beginning to feel panicked. "What do I have that he wants?"_

 _He started to speak but Saske could no longer hear his words. The grass had flattened into solid white, and her parents dematerialized and blew away with the tree she had been leaning against._

 _Time was up._

Her head hurt as she opened her eyes. "Dad!" she screamed, causing a small groan to sound from the corner of the small room she was in.

"Saske?" Neon mumbled drowsily, getting up from the couch. The terror in Saske's eyes was fully realized as she sat up straight in the bed.

"He's coming."


End file.
